Gaming machine

ABSTRACT

A gaming machine is provided with a gaming board having at least one winning hole whereby a prescribed number of balls are paid out as the ball falls into the winning hole, and a display unit which displays images of a variable display game, a single game of which starts out with a plurality of symbols being displayed variably and ends with the stopping of the variable display of a plurality of symbols. The display unit is disposed on a reverse face of the gaming board and at least a part of the gaming board behind which the display unit is disposed has transparency.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is based upon and claims a priority from theprior Japanese patent application No. 2002-307412, filed on Oct. 22,2002, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACK GROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a gaming machine, such as apachinko machine or a slot machine (including a pachi-slo machine).

[0004] 2. Related Art

[0005] Conventionally, a pachinko machine is known as a gaming machinewhere a game is performed by launching a ball onto a gaming board. Inthe aforementioned type of pachinko machine, the ball is launched ontothe gaming board by operating a launching handle, and the launched ballcollides with pegs as it falls. When the launched ball falls into awinning hole on the gaming board, a predetermined number of balls arepaid out.

[0006] When the launched ball falls into a starting hole on the gamingboard, a fixed image displayed on a display unit switches to ananimation having a specific story, and a so-called variable display gamestarts out. The variable display game refers to the one simulativelyplayed on a slot machine. A plurality of symbols displayed on thedisplay unit is displayed so as to be stopped at a prescribed timingafter each of the symbols has been variably displayed in the variabledisplay game. A big winning occurs when the combination of stoppedsymbols forms a combination of big winning symbols. When the big winningoccurs, a prescribed gain (e.g. a prescribed number of balls) is paidout or an advantageous state is provided to a player.

[0007] Recently, there is a pachinko machine, which displays variousimages (e.g. entertainment heroes/heroines, characters related to thehero/heroine, professional wrestlers, sumo wrestlers, a story whichunfolds on the display unit and characters of the story) to increase theinterest in the variable display game, or to excite the player byleaving them with a strong impression when the big winning has occurred.The display area or the display unit itself has been enlarged, so as todisplay dynamic images that provide a sense of being there, as theimportance of images has been rising.

[0008] However, a bigger display unit for a larger display area resultsin a smaller portion for pegs to be arranged. Therefore, there was aproblem that a motion of the launched ball becomes monotonous because afalling route of the launched ball is limited, and the interest in thepachinko game decreases.

[0009] There is a pachinko machine in which a glass board with a liquidcrystal sheet is disposed in front of the gaming board to solve theproblem that the display area is limited by units or apparatuses locatedon the gaming board. This pachinko machine makes the liquid crystalsheet transparent/opaque by controlling the voltage added to the crystalsheet. The pachinko machine displays the image on the liquid crystalsheet by irradiating colored light from the reverse side of the liquidcrystal sheet through optical fibers or color filters, or withlight-emitting diodes (hereinafter LEDs) arranged in a matrix form (i.e.Japanese Patent Publication No. 1993-84347 (laid open), pp. 1-7).

[0010] According to this pachinko machine, dynamic images can bedisplayed by making full use of the glass board disposed in front of thegaming board and without limiting the display area by units orapparatuses located on the gaming board.

[0011] However, according to the pachinko machine irradiating coloredlight from the reverse side of the liquid crystal sheet through theoptical fibers or the color filters, there is a problem that thestructure of the pachinko machine becomes complicated and productioncosts more in order to have more colors. On the other hand, the imagebecomes monotonous if fewer colors are used. Therefore the purpose ofdisplaying dynamic images by making full use of the glass board disposedin front of the gaming board cannot be achieved.

[0012] According to the pachinko machine irradiating colored light fromthe reverse side of the liquid crystal sheet with LEDs arranged in thematrix form, there is a problem that the structure of the pachinkomachine becomes complicated and production costs more, as numerous LEDsare arranged on the gaming board. As a result, since pegs cannot bearranged on a part where the LEDs are arranged, the pachinko machinecannot solve the problem that the area where pegs can be arrangedbecomes small and the motion of the launched balls becomes monotonous.

[0013] According to the method to irradiate colored light from thereverse side of the opaque liquid crystal sheet, it is difficult todisplay the image clearly and vividly. This hence tires the player andgives the player a difficulty in enjoying the game for a long period oftime. Also, due to the opaque liquid crystal sheet, a new problem arisesthat the player has difficulty in playing the pachinko game, as beingunable to see the ball falling down the gaming board.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention has been made in view of the above problem,and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a gaming machinewhich can display dynamic, high quality images without limiting thedisplay area by having units or apparatuses located on the gaming board.Moreover, the purpose is to provide the gaming machine which can providemore exciting pachinko game by providing various falling routes for thelaunched ball, where the player can enjoy the game for a long period oftime.

[0015] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides thegaming machine having a display unit disposed behind a gaming board, anarea of the gaming board where the display unit is disposed has hightransparency.

[0016] Specifically, the present invention provides the gaming machinedescribed below.

[0017] (1) A gaming machine comprises a gaming board which has at leastone winning hole whereby a prescribed number of balls are paid out asthe ball falls into the winning hole, and a display unit which displaysimages of the variable display game, a single game of which starts outwith a plurality of symbols being variably displayed and ends with thestopping of the variable display of the plurality of symbols. Thedisplay unit is disposed on the reverse face of the gaming board and atleast a part of the gaming board behind which the display unit isdisposed has transparency.

[0018] According to the present invention described in (1), the imagecan be displayed by making use of the gaming board itself, and it can bedisplayed on a larger display area than in a conventional display unit,as the display unit comprised of a plastic liquid crystal or liquidcrystal panel etc. is disposed on the reverse face of the gaming board,and an area of the gaming board where the display unit is disposed hashigh transparency. As a result, a dynamic image can be displayed. Aplayer can enjoy a game for a long period of time without being bored,as the image can be displayed clearly with high quality compared to aconventional pachinko machine which displayed the image by irradiatingcolored light from the reverse side of an opaque liquid crystal sheet.The gaming machine can make a pachinko game more exciting, and providesvarious falling routes for the launched ball, as it is unnecessary tolocate the display unit on the gaming board, and the falling routes ofthe launched ball are not limited.

[0019] Moreover, the present invention provides the gaming machine (2)described below. The gaming machine described above (1) comprises thedisplay unit disposed on an entirety of the reverse face of the gamingboard which has transparency.

[0020] According to the present invention described in (2), the gamingmachine can display not only dynamic images that provide a sense ofbeing there but also new images which could not be performed by theconventional gaming machine such as the variable display of the symbolsperformed by making full use of the entirety of the gaming board. As aresult, the gaming machine can make the player pay attention to theimages or symbols, and make the player become absorbed in the pachinkogame. In the conventional gaming machine, the gaming board itself had tobe changed in order to change the design of the gaming board, butaccording to the gaming machine described in (2), it is relatively easyto change a type of machine because a design of the gaming board can bechanged by changing the image displayed on the display unit. The gamingmachine can decorate the gaming board by displaying an animation on thedisplay unit which could not be performed conventionally.

[0021] It is necessary to form opening for the winning hole and startinghole on the gaming board. Therefore, it is necessary to make a spacebetween the gaming board and the display unit, and to form the openingon the gaming board to dispose the display unit on the whole reverseface of the gaming board. A ball fallen into the winning hole orstarting hole can be detected by an optical sensor which detects apassing of the ball from the interception of rays such as infrared raysor from difference in reflected rays.

[0022] [Definition of Terms]

[0023] The “variable display” refers to a state where the symbols aredisplayed so as to change from one to another (i.e. a symbol “7” changesto another symbol “8” or a symbol “9” changes to another symbol “star”),a state where the symbols are displayed so as to change gradually onefrom another (i.e. a symbol “7” moves from one side to another followinganother symbol “6”). The “symbols” is information which can berecognized by sight such as characters, marks or patterns etc.

[0024] The “display unit” displays the image of a variable display game,a single game of which starts out with the variable display of aplurality of the symbols and end with the stopping of the variabledisplay of the plurality of the symbols. The image may include a fixedimage or an animation besides the image of variable display game. Thedisplay unit described above is a plastic liquid crystal or liquidcrystal panel etc., but it is not restricted to these.

[0025] The “liquid crystal panel” displays the images, and is comprisedof a liquid crystal layer, alignment layers located on both sides of theliquid crystal layer, transparent electrodes, color filters, glasspanels holding these layers, polarizing panels located on the outside ofthe glass panels. Hereinafter, the liquid crystal layer, the alignmentlayers, transparent electrodes and color filters are called “liquidcrystal layer etc.” The liquid crystal panel is not limited and anyknown liquid crystal panel can be used in the present invention.

[0026] The “plastic liquid crystal” is comprised of plastic panelsinstead of the glass panels in the liquid crystal panel described above.The plastic liquid crystal is not limited and any known plastic liquidcrystal can be used in the present invention. Either of the liquidcrystal panel and the plastic liquid crystal can be used in the presentinvention. Which one is used can be determined by taking productioncosts and impact resistance into consideration. Hereinafter, the liquidcrystal panel or the plastic liquid crystal is disposed as the displayunit. The liquid crystal panel and the plastic liquid crystal are calledthe “liquid crystal panel etc.” in the present invention.

[0027] A size of the liquid crystal panel etc., disposed on the gamingmachine of the present invention is not limited, if it is disposedwithin the reverse face of the gaming machine. A location of the liquidcrystal panel etc. is not limited, if it is disposed on the reverse faceof the gaming machine. The size and the location of the liquid crystalpanel etc. are determined by taking into consideration on productioncosts, the size of the images which excite the player and show thevariable display game etc. The liquid crystal panel etc., disposed onthe gaming machine of the present invention is not limited to a singlepanel but a plurality of the liquid crystal panel etc., can be disposed.The method of driving the liquid crystal panel etc., can be any knownmethod. Examples of the method include, but are not limited to, activematrix driving method, passive matrix driving method and dynamic drivingmethod, and the like. A backlight irradiating light to the liquidcrystal panel etc. is not limited. The method of irradiation is anyknown method such as a reflector method, a photo conductor method andspread light method etc.

[0028] The “transparency” refers to that the gaming board has efficienttransparency for the images displayed on the display unit disposed onthe reverse face of the gaming board to be seen through the gamingboard. The transparent portion of the gaming machine is not necessarilycolorless and it may have some colors or some patterns. It is preferablethat the transparent portion of the gaming machine has a transmittancerate of 30% or more, and it is more preferable that the transparentportion of the gaming machine has a transmittance rate of 50% or more.

[0029] It is preferable that material of the gaming board is comprisedof a resin, so that the pegs can be located on the surface of the gamingboard relatively easily. The gaming machine can provide the excitingpachinko game and provide various falling routes for the launched ball,as the pegs are located on the part of the gaming board behind which thedisplay unit is disposed. Especially, it is preferable that the materialof the gaming board is comprised of a soft resin with a view to locatingthe pegs easily.

[0030] According to the gaming machine of the present invention, theimage can be displayed by making full use of the gaming board itself anddisplayed on larger area than the area of the conventional display unit,as the display unit is disposed on the reverse face of the gaming boardand the part of the gaming board which the display unit is disposedbehind has high transparency. As a result, dynamic images that providethe sense of being there can be displayed. The player can enjoy the gamefor a long period of time without becoming bored, as the image can bedisplayed vividly with high quality. The gaming machine can make apachinko game more exciting, and provide various falling routes for thelaunched ball, as it is unnecessary to dispose the display unit on thegaming board, and the falling routes of the launched ball are notlimited.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0031]FIG. 1 is a front side view showing an example of a pachinkomachine according to the present invention.

[0032]FIG. 2 is an expanded front side view showing an example of agaming board of a gaming machine according to the present invention.

[0033]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a transparentportion of a gaming board and a liquid crystal panel according to thepresent invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] An embodiment of the present invention will be explained belowwith reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front side view showing apachinko machine according to the present invention. In the embodimentexplained below, the present invention is applied to the pachinkomachine as a preferable embodiment of a gaming machine according to thepresent invention.

[0035] The pachinko machine 10 is comprised of a frame 12, a gamingboard 14 built in the frame 12, a window frame 16 of the frame 12located in front of the gaming board 14, an upper receiver 20 and alower receiver 22 located in front of the frame 12 below the windowframe 16 and a launching handle 26 located on the right side of thelower receiver 22.

[0036] The gaming board 14 is comprised of a transparent resin such asan acrylic resin, or the like. A sheet painted with some illustrations,symbols, or the like, is pasted on a part of the reverse face of thegaming board 14. The gaming board 14 has a hole on a portion thereofTherefore, the part of the gaming board 14 has transparency (transparentportion 14 a). A display unit comprised of a liquid crystal panel 32driven by the active matrix driving method and a backlight 80irradiating light to the liquid crystal panel 32(see FIG. 3) is disposedon the reverse face of the transparent portion 14 a. The liquid crystalpanel 32 is the display unit that displays images of a variable displaygame, a single game of which starts out with the variable display of aplurality of the symbols and ends with the stopping of the variabledisplay of the plurality of the symbols.

[0037] A plurality of pegs is located on the gaming board 14, includingthe transparent portion 14 a. The pachinko machine 10 includes aso-called pachi-com machine (pachinko computer) in this embodiment. Thelaunching handle 26 is rotatably located on the frame 12. Therefore, aplayer can perform a pachinko game by operating the launching handle 26.A launching motor 28 is located behind the launching handle 26. Electricpower is provided to the launching motor 28, when the launching handle26 is operated clockwise. As the launching handle 26 is operatedclockwise, the balls stored in the upper receiver 20 are launched ontothe gaming board 14 one after another.

[0038] The launched ball moves to the upper area of the gaming board 14,guided by a guide rail 30. After this, the launched ball collides withthe pegs as it falls, changing its direction.

[0039] In the conventional pachinko machine, the launched ball does notpass a middle area of the gaming board, as the display unit is disposedon the middle area of the gaming board. However, according to thepachinko machine 10 of the present invention, since the middle area ofthe gaming board 14 is comprised of the transparent portion 14 a wherethe liquid crystal panel 32 is disposed on the reverse side and the pegsare located on the front side, the pachinko machine 10 ensures a widearea for a falling route of the launched ball and provides variousfalling routes of the launched ball.

[0040]FIG. 2 is an expanded front side view of the gaming board 14.Numbers for elements shown in FIG. 2 correspond to the numbers of theelements shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the pegs described above areomitted.

[0041] The display unit comprised of the liquid crystal panel 32 isdisposed on the reverse face of the transparent portion 14 a formed onthe middle area of the gaming board 14. The liquid crystal panel 32displays images decorating the gaming board 14, images to excite theplayer, images of the variable display game, and so on. The liquidcrystal panel 32 also displays identification images displayed onso-called sub-digital display unit or the number of the variable displaygames etc.

[0042] In FIG. 2, the liquid crystal panel 32 displays the patterncorresponding to the pattern of the gaming board 14, four pigs, thesymbols (“7”-“6”-“7”), and the images showing the number of storedvariable display games (four hearts). As described above, the liquidcrystal panel 32 can display the pattern corresponding to the pattern onthe transparent portion 14 a except for the transparent portion 14 a.Therefore, the image displayed on the display unit and the pattern onthe gaming board can be integrated. As a result, the pachinko machine 10can give the player impression of the large gaming board and excite theplayer by the images being integrated with the gaming board.

[0043] A big wining hole 38 is located on the lower area of thetransparent portion 14 a. A shutter 40 is located nearby the big wininghole 38. The shutter 40 is driven so as to open intermittently, by asolenoid (not shown in figure), when the big winning has occurred. Anout hole (not shown in figure) located below the big wining hole 38receives the launched balls which do not fall into the winning holesetc.

[0044] Normal winning holes 54 a and 54 b are located on the right sideand left side of the transparent portion 14 a described above. Normalwinning holes 54 c and 54 d are located on the right-lower side andleft-lower side of the transparent portion 14 a. Special winning holes56 a and 56 b are located on the right edge and left edge of the gamingboard 14. Special winning holes 56 c and 56 d are located on the rightside and left side of the big wining hole 38.

[0045] A prescribed number of the balls are paid out to the lowerreceiver 22 when the launched ball falls into one of these winning holes(the normal winning holes 54 a through 54 d and the special winningholes 56 a through 56 d). The identification images (e.g. numbers andsymbols) displayed on the so-called sub digital display unit arevariably displayed on the liquid crystal panel 32, when the launchedball falls into a prescribed winning hole included among the normalwinning holes 54 a through 54 d and the special winning holes 56 athrough 56 d. When the identification images stop at prescribed images,a starting hole 44 opens for a prescribed period of time by drivingmoveable pieces located on both sides of the starting hole 44 so thatthe launched ball can easily fall into the starting hole 44.

[0046] The starting hole 44 is located below the transparent portion 14a. The starting hole 44 has a ball-detecting sensor 42 detects a triggerto display a plurality of symbols (e.g. three symbols) variably. Whenthe ball-detecting sensor 42 detects a passing ball, a prescribed numberof the balls are paid out and the variable display of the symbols startson the liquid crystal panel 32. That is to say, the variable displaygame starts out.

[0047] Guide apparatuses 60 a and 60 b for guiding the launched ball toa certain direction are located on the right side and the left side ofthe liquid crystal panel 32. Lamps 36 a and 36 b are located on theoutside area of the right upper and left upper of the gaming board 14.

[0048] The liquid crystal panel 32 will be explained below withreference to the drawing. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the liquidcrystal panel 32 and the transparent portion 14 a of the gaming board14. Sockets 91 are provided on the front side of the transparent portion14 a comprised of an acrylic resin, and the pegs 90 are inserted intothe sockets 91. As a result, the pegs 90 are located on the wholesurface of the gaming board 14. Therefore, the pachinko machine 10 canprovide various falling routes for the launched ball and provide anexciting pachinko game, as the pegs 90 can be located on the front sideof the transparent portion 14 a behind which the liquid crystal panel 32is disposed.

[0049] With reference to FIG. 3, the liquid crystal panel 32 iscomprised of a liquid crystal layer 75 provided with a liquid crystal 73and a spacer 74 in the middle. An alignment layer 72 a having a numberof vertical trenches, a transparent electrode 77, color filters 78 a˜78c having three colors (red, green, and blue), a glass panel 70 a and apolarizing filter 71 a are layered in this order on the front side ofthe liquid crystal layer 75. On the other hand, an alignment layer 72 bhaving a number of vertical trenches, a layer comprised of a transparentelectrode 76 and a switching device 79, a glass panel 70 b and apolarizing filter 71 b are layered in this order on the reverse side ofthe liquid crystal layer 75. It is not shown in the figure but liquidcrystal 73 and spacer 74 are held between the alignment layer 72 a andthe alignment layer 72 b by the sealing material enclosing the liquidcrystal layer 75.

[0050] The transparent electrode 77, the transparent electrode 76 andthe switching device 79 are connected to the display unit (not shown inthe figure) formed inside the pachinko machine 10. The display unit isconnected to the controller (not shown in the figure) formed inside thepachinko machine 10. The display unit works by instruction signals fromthe controller, provides electric power to the transparent electrode 77,the transparent electrode 76 and the switching device 79.

[0051] The backlight 80 is located against the alignment layer 72 bhaving some space between the reverse side of the alignment layer 72 b.The backlight 80 is comprised of a spreading sheet 83 located on thefront side of the backlight 80, a photo conductor 81 having a reflector82 on the reverse side thereof and cold cathode fluorescent substances84 a and 84 b irradiating white light to the photo conductor 81. Thewhite light irradiated to the surface of the photo conductor 81 by thecold cathode fluorescent substances 84 a and 84 b is spread uniformly bythe reflector 82 and the spreading sheet 83 located on the surface ofthe photo conductor 81, and provided to the liquid crystal panel 32. Thelight irradiated by the cold cathode fluorescent substances 84 a and 84b is shown as dotted arrows in the figure.

[0052] As described above, when electric power is provided to thetransparent electrode 77, the transparent electrode 76 and the switchingdevice 79 and the white light spread uniformly is provided from thebacklight 80, the images shown in FIG. 1 are displayed on the liquidcrystal panel 32.

[0053] In this embodiment, the liquid crystal panel 32 is disposed onthe reverse side of the transparent portion 14 a exists on the middlearea of the gaming board 14, but it may be disposed on the reverse faceof the gaming board 14 where the launched ball does not pass.

What is claimed is:
 1. A gaming machine comprising: a gaming boardhaving at least one winning hole whereby a prescribed number of balls ispaid out as the ball falls into the winning hole; and a display unitwhich displays images of a variable display game, a single game of whichstarts out with a plurality of symbols being displayed variably and endswith the stopping of the variable display of a plurality of symbols;wherein, the display unit is disposed on a reverse face of the gamingboard and at least a part of the gaming board behind which the displayunit is disposed has transparency.
 2. A gaming machine according toclaim 1, wherein the display unit is disposed on an entirety of thereverse face of the gaming board which has transparency.
 3. A gamingmachine according to claim 1, wherein the gaming board has atransmittance rate of 30% or more.
 4. A gaming machine according toclaim 1, wherein the gaming board has a transmittance rate of 50% ormore.
 5. A gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the part of thegaming board behind which the display unit is disposed comprises anacrylic resin.
 6. A gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein thepart of the gaming board behind which the display unit is disposed has apeg.
 7. A gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein a plurality ofthe display units are disposed.